Propped ladder.



' No. 806,50l 1 PATENTED DEG. 5,1905 M. M. ROUSB.

'PROPPED LADDER. LICAT ON I UNITED STATES PATENT onrron.

MANNING M. ROUSE, OF COREY, PENNSYLVANIA.

PROPPED LADDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. April 27, 1905. Serial No. 257,568-

To whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MANNING M. Rouse, a citizen of the United States, residing at Corry, in the county of Erie and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful step-ladders, one of the objects of the invention being toprovide a device of the character described that shall be simple and inexpensive in construction, durable, and efiective in operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide an extension step-ladder-having adjustable braces by means of which the props may be regulated and by means of which the ladder may be set against a wall while the props are held rigidly in position, thus avoiding the danger of slipping. j

Other objects and advantages of my invention, as well as the structural features by means of which these objects are attained, will be made clear by an examination of the specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference-numerals indicate corresponding portions throughout, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my lad-, der, showin the slidably-mounted section lowered. Flg'. 2 is a perspective view showing the slidably-mou-nted section raised. Fig. 3' is a transverse section through the front pro s. Fig. 4 is a transverse-section through t e rear props. Fig. 5 is a. detail perspective of a portion of the adjustable brace, and Fig. 6 is adetail perspective of a portion of the other brace.

' 1 designates a section of a step-ladder constructed in the ordinary manner, with longitudinal plates 2 secured to the front edges of the side bars and having tongues 3 formed on the back edges of said bars and adapted to rest in grooves 4 in the front edges of a lad-.

der-section 5, adjustably and slidably mounted on said'section 1 by means of the tongues and grooves'3 and 4 and also by means of clamps or clips 6 of'a well-known construction, which are ri idly fixed on the slidable section 5 near its ower end, each one being.

- provided with a set-screw 7 in the front part thereof, by means of'which said section 5 is SGOSIGCl rigidly in place when'raised or low ere 7 designates a prop-section having longitu: dinal plates 4 secured to the outer edges of each prop, each prop being provided with a groove 9., and 10 designates'an extension-section adjustably'mounted on the section 7 by means of longitudinal tongues 11, traveling in the grooves 9, and also by means of supporting-clips 12, rigidly secured to the propsection 7. The extension-section 11 has rigidly mounted thereon clips 13 ofthe ordinary construction, with set-screws 14 engaging with the longitudinal plates 8, by means of which the extension-section 11 is secured in position when raised or lowered.

The extension 5 has rigidly secured at its upper end the supporting plates 15, carrying a platform 16, t e upper ends of each prop of the extension-section 11 being pivotally mounted on the plate 15.

17 designates a brace between the laddersections, said brace comprising two arms 18, one of said arms carryin a lateral projection 19 at one end and the ot er arm having slots or grooves 20 therein. The two arms are pivotally' connected, as shown at 21, one of said arms having pivotally mounted thereon a link 22, which is provided with a lateral projection23 at its end, said lateral projection being adapted to engage with the grooves or notches 20, thus affording means by which the braces are adjusted.

'24: designates another folding'brace comprising two arms, one of which is pivoted on the front and the other on the rear prop. One of said arms is provided with a lateral projection 25, which engages with a kerf26 in conjunction therewith. Y

vTwo particularly useful features are possessed by my ladder, one being the extension feature, enabling a person to adjust the ladder to reach heights not attained by the ordi Patented. Dec. 5, 1905.

nary and well-known constructionof stepladder, and the other being the manner of bracing the props. It will be observed that by my method the props may be placed astride any desirable distance, this arrange ment of parts being particularly useful where it is desired to utilize a step-ladder against a wall. By means of the arms 18, the lateral lugs 19 and 23, and the grooves 20 one or both of the braces 17 may be adjusted to permit the rear props to stand in a perfectly vertical position While the step-carrying props are arranged at an angle enabling a person to conveniently ascend or descend the same.

Having thus described my said invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. A propped ladder brace comprising arms pivotally mounted on the ladder and also pivotally connected with each other, one of said arms carrying a lateral projection at its outer end, and a link pivoted on said arm and having1 a lateral projection adapted to engage wit notches or kerfs in the other arm whereby the two arms are held in braced position, substantially as described.

2. In a stepped and propped ladder, the combination, with slidably-mounted sections, of a tongue-and-groove connection between said sections, longitudinal plates carried by one section, a plurality of clamps and set screws carried by the other section, the setscrews being arranged to engage with the plates whereby the extension-section is held in adjusted and operative position, arms pivotally mounted on the sections and also pivotally connected with each other, one of said arms carrying a lateral projection at its outer end, and a link pivoted on said arm and earrying a lateral projection ada )ted to engage with notches or kerfs in the other arm whereby the two arms are held in braced position, substantially as described.

3. In a stepped and propped ladder, the combination, with slidably and adj ustably mounted inner and outer sections, of tongueand-groove connections between said sections, longitudinal plates mounted 011 each outer section, set-screws rigidly mounted on the inner section and adapted to engage with the plates on the outer section to hold said sections in adjusted position, clamps rigidly mounted on the inner section and carrying the set-screws, clamps rigidly mounted on one of the outer sections to aid in connecting the two sections together, and braces connecting said sections, one of said braces being comprised of pivotally-mounted arms, one 01' which is provided with a pivoted lateral proj ection adapted to engage in a kerf in the opposite arm, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto ai'lix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MANNING M. ROUSE.

Witnesses C. T. KLINGER, W. P. HALL. 

